• Galtt's Home Page
• 
  ABOUT GALTT
• Our aims & projects
• Our history
• Our constitution
• Our Board
• 
  GABRIOLA'S PARKS & TRAILS
• trail maps & walks
• Who owns our parks?
• Gabriola's Trails
• 
  GABRIOLA'S WILD PLANTS
• native Trees & flowers
• Managing invasives
• 
  WAYS YOU CAN HELP
• Members & volunteers
• Donate money or land
• Covenants & trail licences
• 
  RELATED ORGANIZATIONS
  
• BC Parks
• Islands Trust
• Islands Trust Fund
• Gabriola Commons
• NaLT
• Coastal Invasive Plant Cte
• Invasive Plant Council BC

Gabriola's public trails

There is a large network of public trails on Gabriola, which GaLTT publicizes through its printed brochures and trail maps, and through the interactive map on this website. The interactive map describes 21 walks you can take on Gabriola's public trails and beaches.

Breaking new trails

GaLTT work parties break new trails in locations approved by parks departments according to their official management plans, or through trail licence agreements with private owners. Trails are also developed on unused road allowances, which can be located with the help of the RDN, Islands Trust, and BC's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MoTI).

Maintaining trails

GaLTT is very much involved in maintaining the public trails in walkable condition. Regular work parties keep them clear, trimming back surrounding bushes and branches, and removing fallen trees. Where they approach or cross valuable wetlands, GaLTT works with landowners and park planning departments to build boardwalks.

You can help maintain our trails by joining some of our regular (usually bi-weekly) work parties. You can use your own tools or borrow GaLTT's. Email Randy to join a GaLTT trail work party. The happy group at right helped to build one end of the Petroglyph Way Community Park Trail several years ago.

You can also help maintain our public trails by using them responsibly, staying on the trail, avoiding damage to surrounding areas. You can also report poor conditions to GaLTT, such as quagmires, fallen trees, or overgrown brush, so that our teams can go in and improve them.

Trails not open to the public

Many well-used and beautiful trails on Gabriola (some of them old logging roads) do not appear on GaLTT's trail maps, which often puzzles trail-walkers. This is because the trails either run across private land or through land held by the Federal Government and earmarked for treaty negotiations with local First Nations. Such lands often have "No Trespassing" signs.

In its drive to achieve public trail connections all the way between Descanso Bay and Drumbeg Parks, GaLTT continues to negotiate with private land-owners, the Snunéymux^w First Nations, and Government departments for public trail access, but urges trail users to respect these notices in the meantime.